Sheet feeding devices in addressing and like machines



10, 1956 R. L. KERR 2,730,361

SHEET FEEDING DEVICES IN ADDRESSING AND LIKE MACHINES Filed July 6, 1950 7 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jan. 10, 1956 R. L KERR 2,730,361

swam" FEEDING DEVICES IN ADDRESSING AND LIKE MACHINES Filed July 6, 1950 '7 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor Rosa/w LEON/9RD KERR Jan. 10, 1956 R. L. KERR 2,730,361

SHEET FEEDING DEVICES IN ADDRESSING AND LIKE umcamss Filed July 6. 1950 'r Sheets-Sheet :3

Jan. 10, 1956 R. L. KERR FEEDING DEVICES IN ADDRESSING AND LIKE MACHINES Filed July 6, 1950 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 'IIIIIIIIIIII. 1

.F, W, 195 R. L. KERR 9 3 SHEET FEEDING DEVICES IN ADDRESSING AND LIKE MACHINES Filed July 6. 1950 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 lnvenfor ROBERT LEON/9RD KERR By 41H Jan. I, 1956 R. L. KERR 2,730,361

SHEET FEEDING DEVICES IN ADDRESSING AND LIKE MACHINES Filed July 6, 1950 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 Inventor ROBE/Q7 A. m/v/mo A z/e/e Afforne y J. m, 1956 R. L. KERR 2,7303% SHEET FEEDING DEVICES IN ADDRESSING AND LIKE MACHINES Filed July 6, 1950 7 Sheets-Sheet 7 L32 /42 A54 62 g 0 r 163 /63 /5 M Gm 6 L u /64 I /5/ ylhl 0754 United States Patent SHEET FEEDING DEVICES 1N ADDRESSING AND LIKE MACHINES Robert Leonard Kerr, London, England, assignor to Adrerna Limited, London, England, a British Com- P y Application July 6, 1950, Serial No. 172,250

4 Claims. (Cl. 271-45) This invention relates to addressing and like printing machines and provides new or improved means for automatically 'feeding a succession of sheets or cards to be printed from a stack to a printing position of the machine and for feeding them on from that position after printing has been effected.

The invention consists broadly of an addressing or like printing machine for printing on a succession of sheets, comprising means for conveying the sheets successively along a' given path and for stopping them at two different positions along said path, and automatic printing means for printing on said sheets ata given position alongv said path, and means whereby the machine can be run on either 1 of said positionsand to be printed upon by said printing means at said one position.

In order that the invention may be the more clearly understood, a machine in accordance therewith will now be described, reference being made to the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a somewhat diagrammatic side elevation of the whole machine shown to a small scale,

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the part of the machine whereby the sheets are conveyed to a printing position or positions and are then further conveyed for delivery,

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the part of the machine whereby the sheets are fed one by one from the stack to the part of the machine shown in Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a section through two main cam shafts shown in Figure 3 with certain parts omitted for clearness,

Figure 5 is a section on line VV of Figure 4,

Figure 6 is a section on line VI-VI of Figure 5,

Figure 7 is a section on line VIIVII of Figure 4,

Figure 8 is a similar view to Figure-7 but with the parts shown in a different position,

Figure 9 is a section on line IX--IX of Figure 4,

Figure 10 is a section on line X-X of Figure 4,

Figure 11 is a section on line XI-XI of Figure 4,

Figure 12 is a section on line XII-XII of Figure 4,

Figure 13 is a section on line XIII--XIII of Figure 2,

Figure 14 is a similar view to Figure 13 but with the parts shown in a different position,

Figure 15 is an exploded perspective view of the mechanism shown in Figures 13 and 14.

Referring to the drawings and describing first the general function of the machine, the sheets of paper are stacked in a stack 1 which rests on a platform 2. The sheets are lifted one by one from the top of the stack by means of suction nozzles 3 (Figures 2, 7 and 8) and are placed by said suction nozzles at the receiving end of a belt conveyor which consists of the upper runs of two endless belts 4a, 4b (Figure 2). Each sheet is conveyed by said belts to the right according to Figure 2 until it is stopped by its front edge abutting against two gates 5. A printing operation is thus effected upon the sheet. This is effected by a printing pad 6 (Figure 1) descending on to the sheet and thereby pressing it on to a printing plate underneath. The dotted rectangle 6a of Figure 2 indicates the position of said printing plate.

When this printing operation has been effected the two gates 5 are raised to a non-obstructing position and the sheet is conveyed further to the right by the conveyor belts 4a, 4b. If only the one printing operation is to be effected, the sheet is conveyed to the full extent of said belts, and is shot into a suitable delivery receptacle beyond, and, in this event, a second pair of gates 7 are permanently maintained sufficiently raised not to obstruct the sheet. The gates 5 then return to their down position ready to stop the next sheet,-and the cycle continues.

. In some cases, however, it is desired to print twice on two different positions of each sheet. In this event, the sheet, after being released by the gates 5 is stopped by its front edge abutting against thegates 7 which are at their down or obstructive position. The rear portion of the sheet is still over the rectangular region 6, and the second printing operation is effected-at said-rectangular region in the same manner as was the first printing operation. During this time it is clear that the gates 5 must remain raised at the non-obstructive position.

As soon as. the second printing operation has been effected, the gates 7 are raised to the non-obstructive position, and the sheet is conveyed to the right by the belts 4a,

- 4b and is shot into the delivery receptacle'as before. The

first gates 5 are then lowered again to the obstructive position ready to stop the next sheet for the first printing operation, and the gates 7 are lowered ready to stop said sheet for the second printing operation, when said sheet is released by the gates 5, and so the cycle continues.

The rate at which the printing operations are effected is the same whether single or double printing is in operation. It therefore follows that the frequency at which the sheets are .fed by the suction nozzles 3 to the receiving end of the belt conveyor must be twice as fast in the case of single printing as it is in the case of double'printing. Also the frequency with which the gates 5 are raised and lowered is twice as fast in the case of single printing as in the case of double printing, this frequency of course in each case being the same as that at which the sheets are fed. In the case of the gates 7, these are maintained immobile for single printing and are raised and lowered at the slower frequency for double printing. The change from single printing to double printing and vice versa is effected by means of a single finger actuated knob 8.

Describing now the suction nozzles 3 and the manner in which they feed the sheets, said suction nozzles are mounted on a common horizontal tube 9 to which suction is applied. Said nozzles 3 are rotatable about said tube 9 and the arrangement is such that, when their mouths are pointing downwardly they are in communication with said tube, but when their months are pointing horizontally they are cut off from said tube. It will be seen that there are four nozzles, two inner ones relatively near the middle of the tube 9 and two outer ones relatively near the ends of the tube, and that the two inner ones have their mouths directed downwardly and are therefore in communicationwith the tube, while the two outer ones are directed horizontally and are therefore cut off from the tube. This is because the sheets to be fed are of relatively small size and therefore only the two inner nozzles are required to be operative.

For moving the tube 9 to and from the position of Figure 8, at which the operative nozzles 3 have their mouths applied to the uppermost sheet of the stack for picking up said uppermost sheet and the position of Figure 9 at which said nozzles have their mouths located to deposit said sheet at the receiving end of the conveyor, said tube is mounted at each end to one end of an arm whose other'end is attached at a substantially fixed angle to the upper end of a link 11 whose lower end'is pivoted to the lower end of a link 12 whose upper end is pivoted to a fixed point 13. The link 12 is pivoted at a point between its ends to the upper end of a lever 14 whose lower end is fast on a horizontal shaft 15 which passes transversely through the machine and rotates in fixed bearings. It will be seen that the shaft 15. is parallel to the tube 9 and that two identical link systems 10, 11, 12, 14 connect the ends of said shaft to the ends of said tube.

Q The shaft 15 also has fast on it an arm 16, and said arm 16 carries a roller 17 which engages the periphery of a cam 18 mounted on a lower horizontal cam shaft.

19 which is parallel to said shaft 15. Said arm 16 is biased by means of a tension spring 20, having one end connected to said arm and the other to a fixed point,

so that said roller 17 is biased against the periphery of said cam 18, and it will be seen that as said cam rotates the arm 16 and therefore the shaft 15 and therefore each lever 14 rocks about the axis of said shaft.

The upper end of each lever 14 therefore moves on the arc of a circle about the axis of said shaft 15, and this causes the lower end of each link 12 to move on the arc of a circle about the respective point 13, and the net result is that the links 11 together with the arms 10 and the tube 9, without much change of orientation, are moved bodily on a curved path to and fro between the positions of Figure 8 and Figure 7. This curved path rises between its ends so that, from each position to the other, the tube 9 and its nozzles 3 first rise and then fall.

It was stated above that the arms 10 are attached to the links 11 at a substantially fixed angle. this angle is not completely fixed but the arms 10 are able to yield upwardly in opposition to a spring bias about their points of attachment 21 to the links 11, and thus the mouths of the nozzles press down with a spring pressure both on the uppermost sheet of the stack when h in the position of Figure 8, and also when in the posinormally maintains the end of the rod 23 hard against said element 25, and in this way the normal angular relationship of the arm 10 and link 11 is determined, and this normal relationship may be adjusted by screwing the rod 23 relative to the bush 22, and fixed by means of a lock nut 27 on said' rod. It will be seen however that, when the mouths of the nozzles are pressed down on, for example, the uppermost sheet of the stack, the whole unit constituted by the arms 10, the tube 9 and said nozzles 3 is capable of yielding upwardly about the points 21 in opposition to the springs 26, and thus a firm controlled pressure between said nozzles and said uppermost sheet is obtained.

For causing the uppermost sheet of the stack to adhere to the nozzles when the same are first brought into engagement with it, and to be released from said nozzles when it is deposited at the receiving end of the conveyor, the tube 9 and therefore the nozzles 3 are free from suction up to the moment the 'nozzles are first engaged with said uppermost sheet; then the suction is applied for holding said sheet to said nozzles, and, as soon as the sheet is deposited at the receiving end of the conveyor, the suction again ceases.

To'this end the tube 9 is connected by means of a Actually 4 flexible pipe 28 which is adapted to be connected at 29 to a source of suction. This pipe, at an intermediate point is divided into two parts, and these are joined by means of an enlarged chamber 30 connected between them so as to establish continuity of flow. This chamber 30 has an opening 31 in one side of it, which is adapted to be closed by means of a pad 32 mounted at one end of a lever 33 pivoted between its ends at a fixed point 34. The other end of said lever carries a roller 35. Said lever is biased by means of a tension spring 36 to the position at which the pad 32 closes the opening 31. Either of two earns 37 and 38, which are mounted on a continuously rotating cam shaft 39, may be positioned, by means of the finger knob 8 as will hereinafter appear, to be engaged by the roller under the bias of the spring, and, whichever cam is in operation, it alternately forces the pad 32 away from the opening 31 and permits it to close said opening.

It will be clear that, when the pad 32 is covering the opening 31, suction is applied to the nozzles 3 but, when said pad is uncovering said opening, no suction is applied to said nozzles, and in this way the suction is applied to, and removed from the nozzles at the appropriate moments.

The reason whythere are two cams 37 and 38 is to provide for either single or double printing. As before stated, single printing requires the sheets to be fed at twice the rate required by double printing. The rate at which the nozzles 3 are moved to and fro between their two positions is always the same, but the arrangement is such that fot single printing, suction is applied to the nozzles every time they are brought into engagement with the uppermost sheet of the stack, whereas for double printing suction isonly applied every other time said nozzles are brought into engagement with the uppermost sheet. Thus with single printing said nozzles convey a sheet with every journey to the conveyor, whereas with double printing said nozzles only convey a sheet with every other journey to the conveyor. This is provided for by the cams 37 and 38. It will be seen that cam 37 which is for single printing, is shaped to cause the opening 31 to ,be covered twice a revolution, whereas cam 38, which is for double printing is shaped to cause said opening to be covered only once a revolution.

It will be understood from the above that it is necessary to maintain the top of the stack 1 of papers always at a substantially constant level, and, to this end, mechanism is provided for automatically raising the platform 2 as the sheets are taken from the top of said stack.

Thus the platform 2 is rigidly mounted on the upper end of a screwed rod 40. The platform is prevented from rotating by a number of stationary rigid rods 41 which extend up from fixed mounting means in the bottom of the machine and engage in slots in said platform. Incidentally these rods form means for maintaining the stack in its correct vertical form, and they can be adjusted horizontally to accommodate stacks of different sizes and shapes, such adjustment being permitted by the slots 'in the platform;

The screwed rod 40 engages within, and is supported by a nut 42 which is rotatable in a fixed bearing 43 but is incapable of axial movement. bevel gear 44, and said bevel gear 44 is in mesh with a bevel gear 45 mounted fast on a rotatable shaft 46. Fast on said shaft 46 is a ratchet wheel 47, and, co-operating with said ratchet wheel, is a pawl 48 mounted on the end of an arm 49 which is fast on a horizontal rocking shaft 50 which extends across the machine. Fast on said rocking shaft 50 is another arm 51 which carries a roller 52 which engages the periphery of a cam 53 which is mounted on the aforesaid lower cam shaft 19. A tension spring 54 is connected, at one end, to said arm 51, and at the other end to a fixed point 55 and thereby said roller 52 is biased against the periphery of said cam 53. As will be Fast with this nut is a clear from the drawing the mounting of said pawl 48 on said arm 49 is pivotal, and a spring 56 biases the operative end of said pawl into engagement with said ratchet wheel. When the platform is to be raised, the rotation of the cam 53 causes the arm 51, and therefore the shaft 50 and the arm 49 to rock, and this causes the pawl 48 to rotate the ratchet 47 step by step, thereby rotating the bevel gear 45, the bevel gear 44 and the nut 42, and accordingly raising the rod 40 and the platform 2.

Means are provided however so that, when the level of the top of the stack 1 is sufficiently high, the above raising operation of the platform is stopped. Thus a horizontal, transverse feeler bar 57 rests by gravity on the top of the stack. This has two integral arms 58 extending renrwardly from its two ends, and said arms are rigidly connected to lugs 59 which pivotabout fixed pivot points 60 on the two sides of the machine, which pivot points have a common axis. A long upright bar 61 is provided whose upper end pivots about the pivot point 60 of one of the lugs 59 (see Figure 5) and this bar 61 has a rigid stop member 62 projecting therefrom against which abuts the end of a screw 63 in screwed relation with said lug 59 and provided with a finger knob 64, and thus downward movement of the feeler bar 57 positively causes the lower end of the bar 61 to move to the left according to Figure 5.

At its lower end said bar 61 carries a block 65. The rocking shaft 50 has fast with it an arm 66, and it will be seen that this arm rises and falls as the rocking shaft is rocked during the raising operation of the platform. Assuming that the platform 2 is being raised, and the arm 66 is rising and falling, the level of the top of the stack will be slowly rising, and therefore the feeler bar 5'7 will be rising and the lower end of the bar 61 will be moving to the right. (Here it should be stated that said bar 61 is at this stage a little to the left of vertical so it will move to the right under gravity as the feeler bar 57 rises.) At a given level of the feeler bar 57, the block 65 will come into the path of the end of the rising and falling arm 66. The said block 65 and the end of said arm 66 are so formed that the latter can ride upwards past the former, but the first down movement of the arm after said block is in the path of its end, will be checked by said block and thereafter said arm will be held above its down position. Thus the rocking shaft 50 will cease rocking; the pawl 48 will cease rotating the ratchet wheel 47, and the platform 2 will cease rising. When the upper surface of the stack again falls below a given level the block 65 will again move clear of the end of the arm 66, and the raising of the platform will recommence. The block 65, when at the obstructing position, does not entirely prevent up and down movement of the arm 66, but only curtails said movement sufficiently to prevent operation of the ratchet wheel 47 by the pawl 48. Said arm 66 still rises and falls through a part of its stroke which is above said block 65. Said arm carries a cam plate 67 which, as said arm approaches the upper end of its stroke, engages a stud 68 carried by the bar 61 and thereby moves said bar a little to the right so as to raise the feelcr bar 57 from the surface of the stack. This applies equally whether the lower part of the stroke of the arm 66 is being cut off by the block 65 or not.

Thus the feeler bar 57 is periodically lifted momentarily from the upper surface of the block. This periodical lifting is timed to coincide with the picking up of each sheet from the surface of the stack by the nozzles 3, and is designed to facilitate such picking up.

To further facilitate the picking up of each sheet by the nozzles 3, streams of air are continuously blown edgewise against the forward edges of the upper sheets of the stack, and thereby said sheets are slightly separated from one another at their forward edges. These streams are blown from orifices 69 in the side walls of vertical pipes 70 (Figure 2) which are connected at 71 (Figure 3) to a source of air pressure.

A device is provided whereby, if the nozzles 3 should fail to pick up a sheet, the whole machine will be automatically stopped. Thus a pipe 72 is provided which leads from the pipe 28 to one end of a bore hole formed in a block 73. In this bore hole is a piston attached to a piston rod 74 which projects from the other end of said bore hole. A coil spring 75 is provided which biases the piston rod 74 and its piston away from the pipe 73. The piston rod 74 is connected to one end of a lever 76 pivoted between its ends at a fixed point 77. The other end of said lever is turned over to form a hook 78. It will be seen that, when low pressure exists in the pipe 72, the piston and the piston rod will be drawn to the left, according to Figure 9, in opposition to the spring 75 and the book 78 will therefore move to the right. When approximately atmospheric pressure exists in said pipe, the spring 75 will prevail and the hook 78 will move to the left. It will be understood that low pressure only exists in said pipe 72 when a sheet is actually adhering to the nozzles 3. As heretofore explained, the pad 32 closes the orifice 31 during the periods when a sheet should be adhering to the nozzles 3 and thus renders possible low pressure in the pipe system 28, 72, but if a sheet fails to adhere, low pressure will not actually exist in said pipe system since the nozzles will be open to atmosphere. The hook 78 therefore is positioned to the right whenever a sheet is adhering to the nozzles, and it is positioned to the left whenever a sheet is not adhering to the nozzles, whether this is during the regular intervals between adherence, or whether a sheet has failed to adhere owing to some fault.

A lever 79 is provided which pivots up and down about a fixed pivot point 80. This lever is biased upwards by means of a tension spring 81 connected between said lever and a fixed point 82. Said lever is connected to one end of a Bowden wire 83 whose other end is connected to some form of switch mechanism which controls the running of the whole machine, and the arrangement is such that when said lever is pulled to an up position by said spring 81 said switch mechanism switches the machine off.

Said lever 79 carries a pin 84, and, when the hook 78 is at its right hand position (as illustrated in Figure 9) that is to say, when a sheet is adhering to the nozzles 3, said hook overhangs said pin 84 and retains the lever 79 at its down position. Other means are provided which retain said lever 79 at its down position when the hook 78 is at its left hand position at the proper moments, that is during the regular intervals between the adherence of the sheets to the nozzles, but, if said hook should move to its left hand position at a wrong moment, i. e. owing to the failure of a sheet to adhere to the nozzles when it should adhere, the lever 79 is freed to move upwards and the machine is accordingly switched off.

The means for retaining the lever 79 at its down position during the regular intervals between the adherence of the sheets to the nozzles are different in the case of single printing than in the case of double printing, because, as before described, adherence of the sheets to the nozzles occurs twice as frequently in single printing as it does in double printing. In single printing said retaining means are constituted by a pin 85 mounted on a flange 86 which is fast on the cam shaft 19. As the cam shaft rotates, this pin 85 periodically engages the top of a plate 85a mounted on the lever 79 and holds said lever down at a level slightly lower than that shown in Figure 9 and these periods are timed to coincide with the intervals between the adherence of the sheets during single printing.

During double printing a cam 87 which is fast on the cam shaft 39 is brought into cooperation with a roller 88 on one end of a lever 89 which is pivoted at 90 between its ends, and is biased about its pivot point by means of a spring 91, so that said roller 88 is pressed against the rotates, said lever is rocked about its pivot point 90.

Said lever 89 carries a pin 92 at its lower end, and, during a period in each revolution of the cam 87, said pin 92 engages the lever 76 and holds the hook 78 at its right hand position independently of the pressure condition in the pipe 72.

The intervals during which the pin 92 thus holds the hook 78 at its right hand position coincide with the intervals during which the nozzles 3 are making their inoperative journeys from the position of Figure 8 to the position of Figure 7, i. e. their journeys without a sheet, and when, if such actionby the pin 92 did not take place, the hook 78 would move to the left and permit the lever 79 to move upwards. It will be seen that the cam shaft 39 must rotate at half the speed of the cam shaft 19.

During single printing the cam 87 is entirely out of engagement with the roller 88. The movement of said cam 87 between its single-printing and double-printing positions is effected by means of the finger knob 8 as will be hereinafter described. 7

In addition to the platform 2 being automatically adjusted during normal operation to maintain the level of the top of the stack constant, as hereinbefore described, said platform can also be raised and lowered by hand. Thus referring to Figure 6 it will be seen that a disc 93 is provided, with a handle 94 on it for rotating it, said disc being mounted on one end of a tubular outer shaft 95 which is mounted on a reduced extension 96 of the shaft 46. Said outer shaft 95 is slidable and rotatable on said shaft extension 96 and is also slidable and rotatable within a fixed outer bush 97 which is carried by an arm 98 mounted on a fixed part of the machine frame. .A compression spring 99 is in compression between said disc 93 and said bush 97, and accordingly biases'said disc and outer shaft in the direction away from the ratchet wheel 47 to a limiting position determined by the abutting of a collar 100, which is fast on said outer shaft 95, against said bush 97.

On its end nearest to the ratchet wheel 47 said outer shaft 95 carries a boss 101, and respective dog clutch elements 102 and 103 are carried on the adjacent faces of said ratchet wheel and said boss. Thus by pressing the disc 93, together with the shaft 95 and the boss 101, to the left, according to Figure 6, in opposition to the spring 99, the two elements of the dog clutch will be engaged, and, by then rotating said disc, the ratchet wheel 47 will be rotated and the platform accordingly raised or lowered.

It will be seen that, for lowering said platform, it is necessary that the pawl 48 shall be held out of engagement with said ratchet wheel 47. To this end, the boss 101 is formed with a flange 104 having a coned face 105, and said coned face, when said boss is pushed to the left for engaging the elements of the dog clutch, engages said pawl 48 and, by a cam action moves it out of engagement with the ratchet wheel 47.

Referring now to Figure 2, the conveyor comprises two main transverse horizontal shafts 106 and 107, the first at the receiving end, and the second at the delivery end of the conveyor. Fast on said shaft 106 is an elongated pulley element 108 which extends throughout the middle region of said shaft. The path of the belt 4a may be traced over the left hand end of said pulley element 108, straight along the conveyor and over a pulley element 109 fast on the shaft 107, then down and round a freely rotating pulley 110 whose axis is vertical, then up and over a pulley 111 which is loose on the extreme left hand end of the shaft 107, then straight back and over a pulley 112 which is loose on the left hand extremity of the shaft 105, then down and round a freely running pulley 113, and

I then up and back to the starting point over the left hand end of the pulley element 108.

The path of the belt 4b is similar and may be traced over the right hand end of the pulley 108, along the conveyor and over a pulley element 114 fast on theshaft 107,

then down and round a freely rotating pulley 115 whose axis is vertical, then up and over a pulley 116 which is loose on the right hand end of the shaft 107, then straight back and over a pulley (not seen) which is loose on the right hand extremity of the shaft 106, then down and round a freely running pulley 117, and then up and back to the starting point over the right hand end of the pulley element 108.

The shaft 107 has a driving pulley 118 fast on one end of it. and a belt drive on to this pulley 118 drives the whole conveyor.

The portions of the belts 4a and 4b which form the conveyor proper and actually carry the sheets are those portions which run from the pulley element 108 at the receiving end, to the respective pulley elements 109 and 114 at the delivery end. These portions pass over stationary longitudinal supports 119 and 120.

Freely rotatable on the tube 9 one each side of the centre thereof are two rollers 121. As best seen in Figures 7 and 8, the lowest points of the peripheries of these rollers are level with the mouths of the operative nozzles 3. While, therefore, the nozzles are carrying a sheet, said sheet will be underneath, and tangentially in contact with, these rollers 121. When the tube 9 is brought to rest at the position of Figure 7 the peripheries of these rollers 121 bear down upon the peripheries of two circumferential ridges 122 formed on an elongated roller element 123 which is closely parallel to, and on the receiving side of, the pulley element 108. This roller element 123 is fast on a shaft 124 which is driven from the shaft 106 by means of a belt 125 which runs on pulleys 126 and 127 fast on the respective shafts 106 and 124. The roller element 123 therefore rotates in the same direction as the pulley element 108.

It will be seen therefore that, when the tube 9, with its nozzles 3 carrying a sheet, is brought to rest at the position of Figure 7, the sheet, at its forward end, will be pressed between the rollers 121 and the circumferential ridges 122. At this moment the sheets are liberated from the nozzles, and, since the roller element 123 is rotating, the sheet is rapidly moved forwards over the pulley element 108 and on to the belts 4a, 4b, and it is then conveyed by said belts until it abuts against the gates 5.

The sheet in passing to the gates 5 is held down on the belts 4a, 4b by means of two freely rotating rollers 128 which bear down lightly on said belts, and also by two leaf springs 129 whose ends bear down lightly on said belts. Freely rotating rollers 130 also hold the sheet down on the belts 4a, 4b when said sheet is passing beyond the gate 7. It will be seen that the pulley elements 109 and 114 are each formed with a groove in which the respective belt lies, and that each of these pulley elements is in frictional engagement with two freely rotating rollers 131 one on each side of the groove. Thus, as each sheet ap proaches the delivery end of the belts 4a and 4h, its forward edge, when it reaches the pulley elements 109 and 114, will be lifted from said belts and will pass between said pulley elements 109 and 114, on the one hand, and the two pairs of rollers 131 on the other. From these it will be ejected into the delivery receptacle.

Moreover the gates 5 have associated with them two throw-off rollers 132, and the gates 7 have associated with them two throw-off rollers 133, and the arrangement is such that, in either case, when the gates are down at the obstructing position, the associated throw-off rollers are raised clear of the belts, and when the gates are up at the non-obstructing position the associated throw-off rollers are down so as to engage the belts. During single printing, as each sheet is brought up against the gates 5. the rollers 132 will be raised out of the way, and when the gates 5 are raised to the non-obstructive position, the rollers 132 will descend on to the belts, with the sheet in between, and will hold said sheet down on to the belts as it passes towards the delivery end. At this time, the gates 7 being permanently up at the non-obstructive position. the rollers 133 will be permanently down on the belts and will accordingly hold the sheet down as it passes beneath them to the delivery end.

- In the case of double printing the throw-off rollers 132 will be at the raised position as before as each sheet is brought up against the gates 5, but, when said gates are raised to permit the sheet to pass to the gates 7 (now down at the obstructive position) they are raised only so far that the rollers 132 still remain a little above the belts. This is. necessary; otherwise the rear end of the sheet would be pushed forwards while its front end is being arrested by the gates 7. When the gates 7 are subsequently raised to the non-obstructing position, they are raised fully so that the throw-off rollers 133 descend fully so as to hold the sheetdown on to the belts as it passes to delivery.

The operating mechanism for the gates 5 and their throw-off rollers 132'is substantially the same as that for the gates 7 and their throw-ofi rollers 133. We will now describe, with particular reference to Figures 13, 14 and 15, the mechanism for the gates 5 andthrow-oif rollers 132.

Each of the gates 5 consists of a strip of sheet metal mounted at its forward end on an elongated bracket 134 which extends transversely across the conveyor above the belts. This bracket is formed with upwardly turned lugs 135 at its two ends, each of which lugs .is .formed with a hole 136. By said holes 136, said lugs 135 are threaded on the two circular ends 137 of a mainly square section shaft 138 whose said circular ends rotate in holes in longitudinal plates 139 which are fixedly mounted at the two sides of the conveyor. It will thus be seen that the bracket 134 is freely rotatable about the axis of the shaft 138.

Each of the strips forming the gates 5' extends rearwardly from said bracket and then bends first downwardly and-then at an inclination forwardly as clearly shown. When the bracket 134 is rotated to the position of Figure 13, the extremities of said gates will be at a level beneath the belts and will accordingly obstruct the forward edge of an oncoming-sheet. When said bracket is rotated to the position of Figure 14, the extremities of said gates will be above said belts and will not obstruct the sheets. It will be seen that the mounting of each gate 5 on the bracket 134 is effected by means of a screw 140 which passes through a longitudinal slot in the rear end of said gate and through a hole in a supporting piece 140a which is rigidly mounted on said bracket. Thus by loosening and re-tightening the screw 140 the gate can be longitudinally adjusted.

One of the lugs 135, viz. the left hand one according to Figure 2 extends upwardly beyond the hole 136 and, at its upper end carries an outwardly projecting stud 141. This stud engages pivotally in a hole in an elongated actuating bar 142, which extends longitudinally at the side of the conveyor at a level a little above and to the inside of the adjacent plate 139. This bar 142 is formed near its rear end with a longitudinal slot 143 through which passes a pin 144 which is fixedly mounted on the frame of the machine. A spring 145 is in tension between said pin 144 and a pin 146 carried by said bar 142 forwardly of the slot 143. It will thus be seen that the bar 142 is biased by the spring 145 rearwardly to a limiting position determined by the forward end of the slot 143 abutting against the pin 144, and that said bar can be moved forwardly in opposition to said spring. Moreover, when said bar is at its rearward position the bracket 134 and gates 5 will be rocked to the position of Figure 13 and when said bar is pressed forwardly said bracket 134 and gates 5 will be rocked to the position of Figure 14.

Said bar 142 is bent over at its rear end at 147 and its bent-over end carries a screw 148. The forward and rearward movement of said bar, is effected, as will be described hereinafter, by means of a rocking lever 149 abutting against the end of said screw 148.

Each of the throw-off rollers 132 is mounted at the rear extremity of a bifurcated arm 150 which extends rearwardly from a bracket 151 which is mounted on the square section shaft 138, and thus, as said shaft rocks about its axis, the two throw-off rollers are raised from and lowered to the belts. For rocking said shaft 138, a plate 152 is rigidly secured to the bar 142 and extends downwardly therefrom. Incidentally said plate is be- 1 tween said bar 142 and the lug 135, and has a hole 153 through which the stud 141 passes to the hole in the bar 142. Said plate 152 has similar stud 154 projecting from its outer face and this passes through an adjacent hole in the bar 142, and in this way said plate 152 is rigidly secured to the bar 142. Said studs are maintained in the holes in the bar 142 by means of a clip 155 as will be more particularly described hereinafter. A slot 155a in the plate 152 accommodates the end 137 'of the shaft and enables the bar 142 and plate 152 to make their reciprocating movement.

Said plate 152 at its lower end has a stud 156 projecting outwardly from it. The end portion 137 of the shaft 138 has an arm 157 rigidly mounted on it by means of a pin 158 passing diametrically through said shaft end 137 and through a boss 159 on said arm. Said arm 157 has a longitudinalslot 160 in its lower end, and the aforesaidstud 156 engages in said slot. It will now be seen that as the bar 142and therefore the plate 152 reciprocate longitudinally, the stud and slot connection 156, 160 will cause the arm 157 and therefore the shaft 138 and the throwoff rollers 132 to oscillate about the axis of said shaft. It will further be seen that, as the gates move upwards, the throw-off rollers move downwards and vice versa.

The gates 7 and throw-off rollers 133 are identical with the gates 5 and throw-off rollers 132, and the mechanism for controlling them is the same except that the actuating bar 142 and. associated mechanism for controlling the gates 7 and throw-off rollers 133 is on the opposite side of the'conveyor to that which controls the gates 5 and throw-off rollers 132. Corresponding parts in the two mechanisms have been designated by the same reference numerals. ment of the bar 142 for the gates 7 and rollers 133 is effected by means of a rocking lever 161 as will be hereinafter described. I

As heretofore stated the ends 137 of the shafts 138 rotate in holes in the plates 139, and the studs 141 and 154 engage in holes in the bars 142. There are a number of such holes (designated by the reference 162) spaced at intervals along the plates 139, and a number of such holes (designated by the reference 163) spaced at similar intervals along the bars 142, and this enables the gates and their associated pulleys to be adjusted longitudinally ofthe conveyor.

Thus, the studs 154 and 141 pass, as before stated, through adjacent holes 163 in the bars 142. These studs, in their ends which project beyond the bars 142 are formed with circumferential grooves 164 and 165 (Figure 15). The aforesaid clips 155 are of U form with outwardly extending ends 166, and these ends have holes in them which pass over the studs 141, 154 and engage in the grooves 164, 165. Thus the lugs and plates 152 are locked to the bars 142, and each shaft 138 is held against endwise movement by the boss 159 being between the plate 152 and the plate 139. By removing each clip and freeing the plate 152 and lug 135, it is obvious that the whole assembly of bracket 134 and shaft 138 together with the gates and throw-off rollers can be removed and replaced at a diiferent position along the conveyor.

The rocking of the rocking levers 149 and 161- is effected by means of cams on the cam shaft 39. Thus the rocking lever 149, whose upper end engages the bar 142, is pivoted between its ends on a stationary pivot 167. The lower end of said rocking lever carries a roller 168 and this is engaged by either of two cams 169 and 170 The forward and rearward move- 1 1 fully lowering the gates 5 twice each revolution of the cam shaft, but that the double printing cam 170 provides for fully lowering the gates 5 only once each revolution of the cam shaft. Moreover, when the gate is raised the surface 171 of said cam maintains said gates less than fully raised during most of the raised period so that the throw-off rollers 132 are not fully down. Thus, as before stated, the sheets are not too much pressed forward against the gates 7. It will be seen however by the shape of the cam 170 that when the gates 5 are first raised they are fully raised for a moment so that the rollers 132 descend fully and give the sheet a good initial throw-off towards the gates 7.

The rocking lever 161 whose upper end engages the other bar 142 is pivoted between its ends on a stationary pivot 172. The lower end of said rocking lever carries a;

roller 173 and this, for double printing, is engaged by a cam 174 on the cam shaft 39. It will be seen that this double-printing cam 174 lifts the gates 7 fully once each revolution, and thus the required movements hereinbefore' set out are obtained.

For single printing, the cam 174 is moved clear of the roller 173, and the bar 142 which appertains to the gates 7, is held forwardly by means of a suitable catch independently of any cam action so that the gates 7 are fully up and the throw-off rollers 133 fully down.

The actuation of the cams 169, 17 0 and 174 to and from their single-printing and double-printing positions, like that of the earns 37, 38 and 87 is effected by means of the finger knob 8, and the way in which these cams are all moved by said finger knob will now be described.

The cam shaft 39 consists essentially of an inner shaft 175 and a tubular outer shaft 176. The outer shaft 176 runs in fixed bearings 177 and carries flanges 178 which abut against said bearings to prevent longitudinal movcment of said outer shaft. The cams 37, 38 and 174 are mounted on a common bush 179 which is freely mounted on said outer shaft 176. In like manner the cams 169, 170 and 87 are mounted on a common bush 180 which is freely mounted on said outer shaft 176. The inner shaft 175 has two pins 181 and 182 passing diametrically through it.- The pin 181 passes through diametrically opposite longitudinal slots 183 in the wall of the outer shaft 176, and fits in diametrically opposite holes in the wall of the bush 179, and, in like manner the pin 182 passes through diametrically opposite longitudinal slots 184 in the wall of said outer shaft 176 and fits in diametrically opposite holes in the wall of the bush 180. Thus the inner shaft 175 can move longitudinally relative to the outer shaft 176, and, in so moving, it carries with it both bushes 179 and 180, and therefore all the cams 37,

38, 174, 169, 170 and 87. At the same time it will be seen that the inner shaft 175, the outer shaft 176 and both bushes and their cams are all locked together in respect of rotary movement.

The inner shaft 175 is biased to the left (according to Figure 4) relative to the outer shaft 176. The finger knob 8 is secured to the right hand end of the inner shaft 175 by virtue of a screwed stem 185 (Figure on said finger knob making screwed engagement in a tapped hole in the end of said inner shaft.

Said inn'er shaft 175 near its right hand end has a third pin 186 passing diametrically through it and the ends of this engage in diametrically opposite slots 187 cut into the end of the outer shaft 176.

When the pin 186 is in engagement in the slots 187, the bias on the inner shaft pulls it to the left until the finger knob 8 abuts against the end of the outer shaft 176. The position is then for double printing and the earns 38, 174, 170 and 87 are in engagement with their respective rollers. To change to the position for single printing the knob 8 is pulled to the right until the pin 186 clears the slots 187 and is then turned through a quarter turn until said pin 186 is in register with two other slots 188 (Figure 10). The knob 8 is then released so that the 12 pin 186 enters said slots 188. These slots 188 are shallower than the slots 187 and the pin 186 engages their ends when the single-printing cams 37 and 169 are in engagement with their respective rollers.

The means for biasing said inner shaft to the left .consist of a tension spring 189 (Figure 9) which is in is fast on the lower cam shaft 19, and the bevel gear 193 is in mesh with a bevel gear 195 of double size which is fast on the outer shaft 176 of the upper cam shaft 39. Thus the upper cam shaft 39 is driven at half the speed of the lower cam shaft 19. The vertical shaft 191 is driven from a horizontal shaft 196 through a gearing in a gear case 197.

The reference 198 designates a spring tongue which just engages the forward edges of the uppermost sheets of the stack and flicks them as they pass up, thereby aiding the air jets from the orifices 69 in separating the uppermost sheets. The reference 199 designates a finger knob for adjusting the air pressure to the orifices 69.

It will be seen that the main or feeding part of the machine, i. e. the part illustrated in Figure 3 is supported on legs 200 and is encased in an outer casing 201. The reference 202 (Figure 1) designates legs supporting the conveyer part of the machine illustrated in Figure 2.

The details of the frame structure and associated fixed parts of the machine, which, in themselves, form no part of the invention are deemed sufficiently clear from the drawings.

- I claim:

l. A self-contained conveyor for paper sheets attachable to the horizontal table of an addressing and like printing machine, said conveyor comprising an elongated frame fitting the table of the machine and having at both ends extensions depending below the working level of the table outside the peripheral outline thereof when the frame is fitted to the table, a set of pulleys at each end of the frame, the pulleys of the two sets being mounted on the frame rotatable about two axes parallel to each other and extending transversely of the frame, a set of reversing pulleys mounted on each of said depending extensions rotatable about parallel axes perpendicular of said transverse axes, and a plurality of endless conveyor tapes guided by said end pulleys and said reversing pulleys, each of said tapes having a feed run and a return run guided by said end pulleys in a common horizontal plane substantially coplanar with the plane of the frame from one end of the frame to the other and reversed by said reversing pulleys below said plane, the return runs of said tapes being disposed adjacent to the sides of the frame.

2. A self-contained conveyor forpaper sheets attachable to the horizontal table of an addressing and like printing machine, said conveyor comprising an elongated frame fitting the table of the machine and having at both ends extensions depending below the working level of the table outside the peripheral outline thereof when the frame is fitted to the table, a set of pulleys at each end of the frame, the pulleys of the two sets being mounted on the frame rotatable about two axes parallel to each other and extending transversely of the frame, a set of reversing pulleys mounted on each of said depending extensions rotatable about parallel axes perpendicular of said transverse axes, and a plurality of endless conveyor tapes guided by said end pulleys and said reversing pulleys, each of said tapes having a feed run and a return run guided by said end pulleys in a common horizontal plane substantially coplanar with the plane of the frame from one end of the frame to the other and reversed by said reversing pulleys below said plane.

3. A self-contained conveyor for paper sheets attachable to the horizontal table of an addressing and like printing machine, said conveyor comprising an elongated frame fitting the table of the machine and having at both ends extensions depending below the working level of the table outside the peripheral outline thereof when the frame is fitted to the table, a set of rotary pulleys mounted at each end of the frame, a set of rotary reversing pulleys mounted on each of said depending extensions, and a plurality of endless con eyor tapes guided by said end pulleys and said reversing pulleys, each of said tapes having a run and a return run guided by said end pulleys in a common horizontal plane substantially coplanar with the plane of the frame from one end of the frame to the other and reversed by said reversing pulleys below said plane.

4. A self-contained conveyor for paper sheets attachable to the horizontal table of an addressing and like printing machine, said conveyor comprising an elongated frame fitting the table of the machine and having at both ends extensions depending below the yvorking level of the table outside the peripheral outline thereof when the frame is fitted to the table, rotary guide means at each end of the frame mounted in the general plane thereof,

rotary reversing means mounted on each of said depending extensions, and several endless conveyor tapes guided along the frame by said guide means in a common horizontal plane substantially coplanar with the general plane of the frame and reversed by said reversing means below the general plane of the frame.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,286,714 Moore Dec. 3, 1918 1,363,533 Roe Dec. 28, 1920 1,405,513 Hughes Feb. 7, 1922 1,476,936 Walden Dec. 11, 1923 1,528,557 Luce Mar. 3, 1925 1,535,785 Luce Apr. 28, 1925 1,717,231 Krell June 11, 1929 1,942,490 Quigley Ian. 9, 1934 1,957,812 Stein May 8, 1934 2,002,773 Gollwitzer May 28, 1935 2,143,049 Belluche Jan. 10, 1939 2,211,310 Andrews Aug. 13, 1940 2,262,109 Miller Nov. 11, 1941 2,362,205 Huck Nov. 7, 1944 

